Basic Checks Are Often Being Forgotten Due To Being Late Or Being In A Rush Etc Etc

Suprisingly They Only Take A Few Minutes But Could Save:- Someones Life, A Fixed Penalty Fine/Court Appearance/Lost Licence

1. Always Check The Oil Level

It Is Suprising How Often We Forget This One Despite It Being A Vital Engine Fluid.

Usualy If Your Oil Is On The Minimum Level It Takes One (1) Litre To Top It Back Up To The Max Mark.

When Your Oil Level Starts Getting Lower Than This Vital Components In The Cars Engine Can Start To Overheat Or Rub Together And Cause Wear At A Greater Rate Than Acceptable. A Litre Of Oil Can Cost Between £3-20 A New Engine Anything Up To £5000

2. Bulbs

A Failure Of Just One Main Bulb Can Cause An Accident. Failed Indicators/Brake Lights/HeadLights Can Confuse Other Road Users, Fail To Warn Other Drivers, A Good Quality Bulb Can Be Bought From £1 Right up to £20 Always Change Them In Pairs Because If One Has Failed The Other Is Likely To Pop Pretty Soon, A Bulb Failure Can Attract A Fixed Penalty Fine and Points Right Up To Loss Of Your Licence If You Knock Someone Down Through Not Being Able To See The Person/s

3 Tyres

These Often Get Overlooked To The Extent That They Never Get Inflated Between Services (I have Seen This Myself Through Working At A Garage) Low Tyre Pressures Can Cause :- Increased Wear/Longer Stopping Distances/Higher Fuel Consumption

Always Check The Tyre Pressure At Least Once A Month Or When Refueling. It Could Save You Hundreds.

And Always Check Your Tread Depth 1.6MM Is The Legal Limit over 3/4 of the tread, Insist On Changing Tyres when they reach 2mm if you travel Long Distances.

Worn Tyres Can Also Cause Greater Stopping Distances/They Can Cause You To Slip Easier Due to Less Tread And Your Are At A Greater Risk Of An Accident With Worn/Bald Tyres Plus You Will Attract a Fixed penalty fine and Points On your Licence or Worse Still An Accident.

The Amount of cars that I have seen with one bulb blown is shocking !!!

Have to say, I am quite guilty of neglecting the basics, tyre pressures is my worst! I once checked them having owned the car for a year and a half and never checking them, to find one of the rears on 13PSI... the recommended pressure is 30!!

Definitely worth a quick check once a week along with all the fluid levels.

i normally do a full check every week to make sure everything is working and all fluids are good.

If im going on a long journey i check before that and top up fluids and tyres up.

Mind you im pretty OCD, from being in RAF and a bus driver....if a bulb blows, i will get it sorted as soon as possible...Hate being in a car with a blown bulb...makes it look like you dont look after it and hence gets the attention of the law and agencies and other cranks on the road.

EDIT: i do tell a lie, my only thing is not washing the car or hoovering...dont see the point in winter or when there is loads of salt on the roads...where you wash it and after 2 mins it is covered again.

Think on an advanced driving course a couple of years back the 'instructor' used the acronym P.O.W.E.R. - Petrol, Oil, Water, Electrics, Rubber.

Must admit, I wouldn't do it EVERY time I get into the car, but do check my oil and water levels every now and again, and would obviously keep a close eye on the others, fuel, electrics/bulbs and my tread depth and tyre pressures.

I check most things on both cars every couple of weeks (she does check her own most weeks), although I don't always bother with checking the oil on the mondeo to be honest - never moved from the max mark in the 2 years I've had it and its serviced every 6k miles although the last service was after 2k!

Bulbs I check when washing the car usually, although as I do alot of night driving a blown headlight bulb is usually quite obvious.

The only thing I really like checking is the brakes, lights, tyres and fluids on the bike every time I have it out. Usually when I get the bike out I will start it up the garden, check it over and go get ready to go out..

Work car is checked before every shift.
Tyres for wear/pressure/damage, water, oil, fuel levels and lights.
Own car is checked weekly for oil and water but tyres and lights daily.
One thing many people omit is washer fluid, it's actually a offence to drive a car with an empty wash bottle.
Another one forgotten is the horn, also an offence.

once a week for everything except oil like steff i never use any besides the engine bays that clean ide see a squashed midgie on it lol though like has been said i regularly see those with only headlight working and main beam on or drls on with headlights on and !Removed! fogs on

too true nexus, i dont understand how people "don't notice" clearly 1 light isn't working its not rocket science haha

as i drive 250+miles a week i usually do all my checks on Sunday, very rarely ill check oil, ill rely on the light for that, also with doing alot of motorway driving i also make sure i have enough petrol because i was once told its an offence to run out of fuel on a motorway (maybe someone can clear that for me)

with regards to tyres, before i set off anywhere i usually walk the opposite way round the car to the drivers door and do a visual check on the tyres (not flat as a pancake)